Toying with Time
by Cate Paris
Summary: Lily Evans and the secret society of her friends, Order of the Phoenix, have been working to combat Voldemort. At the same time, research has gone into viewing the future, and what they see tells them they have to battle the clock as well as the Dark Lord


Title: Toying with Time (01/?)  
  
Author: Cate Paris  
  
Summary: Lily Evans and the secret society of her friends, the Order of the Phoenix, have been working to combat Voldemort. At the same time, research has gone into viewing the future, and what they see tells them they have to battle the clock as well as the Dark Lord.  
  
AN: I don't quite like this summary, so it may change. Some elements have been slightly inspired by Paycheck, although I had the basic outline of the plot before viewing the movie. But, we'll get there when we get there! You're set for a long ride, folks, and I only hope it's an entertaining one. Enjoy.  
  
-Cate  
  
Disclaimer: The characters created by JK Rowling are not mine, and the characters created by me are indeed mine. Is that a good enough disclaimer?  
  
Chapter 1 - Lucky Lily  
  
It was one of those scorching hot summer days where one can't help but feel lazy, tired, and irritable. The air was damp and so were everyone's spirits. And the last thing Lily Evans wanted to be on that July day was stuck in traffic.  
  
Admittedly, Lily was a witch and driving muggle automobiles seemed pointless a task, but nevertheless, it had to be done. It was a part of muggle life, and that summer, for all intents and purposes, she was a muggle. She checked her rear-view mirror and noted that traffic was just as jammed behind her as it was in front of her. The long line of muggle cars lay bumper to bumper as far as she could see. She adjusted her mirror and observed the car behind her pull over. Just then, her vehicle suddenly shut down and began smoking. She uttered a stream of curses and was barely able to pull over onto the shoulder. She leaned back into her seat and sighed, before taking out her keys getting out to assess the damage. She'd never had a car break down before, and frankly, she didn't know the first thing about cars - other than how to drive one. She opened the hood and coughed as smoke engulfed her.  
  
'Excuse me, fair lady, you wouldn't need some help, would you?'  
  
Lily brushed away the smoke and saw a man standing by her, carrying a tool kit.  
  
'Actually, if you wouldn't mind, my car has broken down, and I don't have a clue-' she started, but was interrupted.  
  
'Leave it to me, Miss.' The man set down his tool kit and placed his hands on the car. He immediately retracted, shaking his hands. 'Hot!'  
  
This should have been obvious, Lily thought, but was not going to insult the man who had so kindly offered to help her. He used a few of his gadgets, and to Lily it looked like he hadn't any better clue to what he was doing than Lily would have. He suddenly slammed the hood shut and gave Lily and guilty grin.  
  
'Your car seems to be broken down, Miss. Could I offer you a lift?' He asked her, slowly.  
  
Lily stared at him. 'What is your name?'  
  
'What's yours?' He replied, quickly.  
  
'I asked first.' Lily eyed him suspiciously.  
  
'Therefore you should answer first. You can't expect answers unless you're willing to give them, now can you?' His smile was warm, but his eyes were cold.  
  
And then it dawned on Lily, who scolded herself for not picking up on it sooner. She knew exactly what was going on. The man saw the realisation dawn on her.  
  
'My offer stands,' the man said suddenly. 'You can take it or leave it.'  
  
'And which offer would that be?' She asked sweetly, while digging in her back pocket for her wand. Drat. She must have left it in the car. Her eyes darted nervously toward the vehicle, and the man smirked. 'I am guessing your offer of a lift does not stand true, for you pulled over before I did and so you have indicated that something must have been wrong with your car. Or,' Lily stared him in eyes. His gaze did not falter. 'More likely, there is nothing wrong with your car. And there was no problem with mine until you messed with it.'  
  
The man laughed. 'My dear lady, your car broke down before I even touched it.'  
  
'Really.' Lily half-asked, and made a side step toward her car. He stepped in front of it. 'Because I don't quite think so.'  
  
'You're being quite ridiculous. But even so, I repeat, my offer stands. My offers... stand.'  
  
Lily shook her head. 'I don't want to do this. Not today.' She took another step toward her vehicle. The man stepped in front of her.  
  
'You can take it or leave it, Ms Evans.'  
  
'I leave it,' she stared him directly in the eye. 'And I suggest you do as well.'  
  
'I would highly recommend you not do that.'  
  
'And I would highly recommend you move out of my way!' Lily shouted, trying to quickly step around him to get inside her vehicle. She had the door half open, when he stuck out his hand and shut it. She swore.  
  
'It's not going to be that easy, Ms Evans. I can't let you leave just like that.' He still smiled at her, but it was a false smile and Lily knew it. He reached for his wand. 'Non apparatus.'  
  
Lily couldn't apparate away now. 'How did you find me?' She asked with a sigh, and glanced toward the road. It was still bumper-to-bumper, so even if she could somehow get her car to work, and would have nowhere to go. 'And why would you ask me my name when you clearly know it?'  
  
'Why did you ask me my name when you clearly know who I am?'  
  
'I don't know who you are.' Lily searched her pockets once more. Still no wand, but she did have her keys. She felt them, hoping she had something sharp on them, but she had nothing besides a miniature compass. 'But I know what you are.' She glanced into the window of her car. Sure enough, her wand lay on the passenger seat, and Lily was unable to get to it. She looked around outside the car, and saw the tool kit resting on the hood. She suddenly had a plan. 'And I know what you want.'  
  
'You can give it to me, then. And we'll both leave happy.' She saw him raise his wand, and at that moment on cue Lily grabbed the tool kit, and made to hit him on the head as hard as she could. As she swung around, the man saw her, and ducked out of the way. Lily hit the window of her car, smashing it to bits. She heard him start to laugh, and she immediately reached through her broken window and grabbed her wand. She was too slow, however. She felt his wand on her back. Drat.  
  
'I'll give you a final chance to accept my offer,' he hissed in her ear, and jabbed in the back once more. 'You've been given all summer. I want an answer... now.' He pushed her against the car, and Lily felt the broken glass cut into her cheek. She vaguely heard someone shout from one of the cars caught in traffic, 'What's going on?' The man ignored it, and so did Lily. She didn't have much of a choice.  
  
'And as I've avoided you all summer, can't you take the hint?' She whispered, gasping for breath. 'No, no, and no!' She gasped again as he pushed her further into the glass. 'You can take that to your master.'  
  
'I think I'll take you instead,' he growled.  
  
It happened all at once. He began to utter a curse, and at the same time, Lily grasped a piece of broken glass and turned around and with all her strength stabbed him with it. He faltered for a second, his curse bouncing off the car. But in that second, Lily regained her footing and held her wand out and pointed at him. 'Leave. Now.' She hissed.  
  
'I can't do that.' His wand was pointed at her as well, and his free hand was covering his wound. 'If you give up now, Evans, I'll be easy on you. Maybe,' he added, as an afterthought.  
  
Lily shook her head. 'You know I'll never give in,' she growled. However, at that moment, somebody from one of the cars shouted, and Lily foolishly turned her head to see where it came from. She felt a pang in stomach and knew it was a mistake. The man summoned her wand, and laughed.  
  
'Changed your mind yet?'  
  
Lily quickly considered her options. She was clearly injured, and it was obvious to the outsider that some kind of fight was going on, so someone would come soon. She could try to stall until the muggle policemen came, and in that distraction, she could try to get her wand back. But as he had his wand pointed at her heart, she knew she couldn't stall that long. Lily looked around. They were close to the forest, and if she could break free, she might be able to lose him, as much as she hated to run from a fight. She could try to stay and fight him, but as he had two wands, both pointed directly at her and she had none, that wasn't a very feasible option.  
  
Well, Lily, she said to herself. This is it. Think fast. Think. she could try to outwit him.  
  
'So this is how it is, eh?' She threw him a nasty look. 'Going to stand here with two wands pointed at a girl? This is how you fight?' He had an indescribable look on his face, and Lily continued, raising her voice. 'You're a coward, and you know it! You know you can't possibly win in a fair fight!' She shouted. She heard car doors slam. People were coming to help her.  
  
'You there, what's going on?' She heard a man's voice behind her. The man threatening her did not look, however.  
  
'It's not going to work, Evans,' he growled. 'Just give up.'  
  
'Never,' she hissed.  
  
'Get your hands off the girl!' Another person shouted. Lily saw crowds of people come into her view. It was now or never. When the man turned to reply, making the same mistake Lily had minutes before, she reached down and grabbed the tool kit once again. She knocked him in the head, and he lost his balance.  
  
She dropped the kit and ran.  
  
Now, Lily had never been that fast of a runner. She wasn't athletic at all. That was James' department. But now, she was running for her life, and she was halfway to the forest, when she realised something.  
  
She didn't have her wand.  
  
Cursing, Lily knew it would be death to turn back, and ran harder toward the wood. She heard the man utter spells behind her, and saw flashes of light through the corner of her eye. She was never going to make it.  
  
Something hit her in the foot and she crashed to the ground. She was definitely trapped now, and braced herself for the final curse. She heard it. But it didn't hit her. It hit somebody else.  
  
Lily cautiously turned her head, and observed about ten muggles fighting with her attacker. She stood up, bewildered. Her attacker was uttering curses here and there, but the muggles were surrounding him, and he couldn't hit them all at once. Someone shouted for her to go, and she obeyed. She ran into the woods, panting for breath, feeling terrible.  
  
I'm leaving those muggles for imminent death, she thought. But there was nothing she could do to help them without her wand. Her wand! She had lost it.  
  
Lily slowed her pace, as she was fairly deep into the wood now. She heard a huge explosion behind her just then, and quickened her pace once again. Soon he'd start after her.  
  
Lily could run no farther, however. She was completely out of breath. She rested against a tree, and pondered the situation. She had no idea how deep the woods were, or how to get out. She couldn't apparate because of the spell he had placed on her. She reached into her back pocket, and felt her key chain. She had a compass on her key chain. Lily, she thought, you are one very lucky girl.  
  
***  
  
Lily eventually got herself out of the woods without meeting the man again. She recognised where she was as she emerged from the forest - she was in the wood behind her apartment complex. It had been a lucky day, she noted. Other than that whole attacker thing, and losing her wand.  
  
When she arrived at her flat, with nothing but her keys, she found that it was already occupied and the news was on the television. Apparently, the breaking story was about a young woman who was attacked by a man at the side of the road. People had gotten out of their cars to suppress the man, and the woman had gotten away. However, according to the newscaster, so did the man. There were many deaths as well.  
  
'Lily!' A woman ran to her as Lily shut the door. 'Lily, where you have you been?' she cried. She looked Lily up and down. Lily was bruised, bleeding, her clothes were torn, and she was covered in leaves. 'Rough day?'  
  
'I guess you could say that,' she replied simply as she hung her keys on the key rack.  
  
'Lily, do you know anything about that story that was just on the news? The one about the girl who was attacked by the road-'  
  
'Yes, yes, how did you guess?'  
  
'Well, I was wondering where you were, and so I turned on the telly to see the news and I saw this story, and the car looked awfully like yours, and so. '  
  
'That would be because it is mine,' she said simply, and collapsed on the sofa. She sighed. 'Priscilla, I lost my wand this time.'  
  
Priscilla sat down next to Lily. 'I've done it before. It comes with the job, you know. Come to think of it,' she paused. 'I think we've all lost ours at some point or another.'  
  
'And gotten them back!' Lily cried. 'This man has mine, and I'm not about to go after him, seeing as I have no idea where he's gone off to.'  
  
'We'll get to work on it, then. Lily, who was this man? What did he want? What happened?'  
  
'The usual,' Lily sighed. 'Listen, I'm awfully dirty, and I just took a several mile hike through the woods back there, so I think I'll shower. Could you let the others know that I'm all right, they'll have heard the news by now, I'm sure?'  
  
Priscilla nodded, and Lily stood up and exited the room.  
  
*****  
  
Next: Who was the man, and what did he want from Lily? Why is Lily living as a muggle, driving a car? What was she doing and where was she going? Who are 'the others'? Will she get her wand back?  
  
Kindly review, if you can spare a minute or two, thanks! 


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